What exactly has been the MVF experience in this regard? - MVF

In the MVF experience almost all parents, even from the so called ‘poorest’ segment of the rural society, are not only keen on withdrawing their child from work and sending them to schools but are also willing to make whatever sacrifices in terms of money and time that this decision entails. Once a child is enrolled and shows some progress, parents have even sold off their cattle, sheep and so on which were being looked after by the child and retained the child in school. Parents themselves and other older family members have taken over any work earlier performed by the child that inevitably needs to be done. There is some evidence to show that the mother tends to be burdened with the largest share.

This however is very rarely resented. In the MVF camps, which are the transit camps to enable a smooth shift of a child from a work environment to that of school one can actually see the manner in which parents’ attitudes change. Once parents realise that their child is capable of picking up studies and their confidence in his/her abilities grows they no longer think in terms of sending the child to work. They also tend to pamper the child a lot more, give small presents when they visit them at the camp, get photographed with them and in general like to be associated with them in every way. Far from worrying about the loss of income from the child’s labour they end up spending much more on the child.